JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
I have seen a few posts on here comparing Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert to Northwestern's Dan Persa.
I am sorry, but that is not close to being accurate. I have seen Mizzou play three or four times this year and NW at least that many, including all of the NW-Iowa game. Persa > Gabbert.
Gabbert completed 62% of his passes, not a bad number, but many of those throws are horizontal and quick dumps. He is no where near the deep ball thrower that Nick Foles of Arizona is, and Iowa doesn't give up many big plays deep, less than 10 of 25 yards or more all season.
Now, that dovetails into areas where Iowa has struggled, so I am not trying to imply that Gabbert and the Missouri passing offense is bad. It's not. Gabbert just does not have the command of his offense that several of Iowa's opposing QB foes had this year.
Iowa's defense faced 5 of the top 20 rated passers in the NCAA this season, and 6 of the top 26. Every Big Ten opposing QB Iowa faced this year has a higher passer rating than Gabbert with the exception of true freshman QB Rob Bolden of Penn State. Only Bolden, Austen Arnaud and Keith Wenning of Ball State had a lower passer rating from Iowa's 11 FBS opponents than Mizzou's Gabbert.
Missouri also does not have the standout individual talent they have had at receiver in recent years, no real standout deep threat...but then again, neither did Northwestern.
Missouri will be in the shotgun most of the time, and I would guess they will try to uptempo the Iowa defense.
The pressure will be on the Iowa offense to convert on third down. Missouri's defense has been a revelation this year, but they can be run on, and we know Iowa is going to try to establish that ground game. Iowa should be healthy along the OL, which will make a big difference, especially at RG.
I am sorry, but that is not close to being accurate. I have seen Mizzou play three or four times this year and NW at least that many, including all of the NW-Iowa game. Persa > Gabbert.
Gabbert completed 62% of his passes, not a bad number, but many of those throws are horizontal and quick dumps. He is no where near the deep ball thrower that Nick Foles of Arizona is, and Iowa doesn't give up many big plays deep, less than 10 of 25 yards or more all season.
Now, that dovetails into areas where Iowa has struggled, so I am not trying to imply that Gabbert and the Missouri passing offense is bad. It's not. Gabbert just does not have the command of his offense that several of Iowa's opposing QB foes had this year.
Iowa's defense faced 5 of the top 20 rated passers in the NCAA this season, and 6 of the top 26. Every Big Ten opposing QB Iowa faced this year has a higher passer rating than Gabbert with the exception of true freshman QB Rob Bolden of Penn State. Only Bolden, Austen Arnaud and Keith Wenning of Ball State had a lower passer rating from Iowa's 11 FBS opponents than Mizzou's Gabbert.
Missouri also does not have the standout individual talent they have had at receiver in recent years, no real standout deep threat...but then again, neither did Northwestern.
Missouri will be in the shotgun most of the time, and I would guess they will try to uptempo the Iowa defense.
The pressure will be on the Iowa offense to convert on third down. Missouri's defense has been a revelation this year, but they can be run on, and we know Iowa is going to try to establish that ground game. Iowa should be healthy along the OL, which will make a big difference, especially at RG.